Caught in the Sun: Football Fantasy
by TachyonOne
Summary: When Ireland is in dire need of a win at the World Cup, a boy dials the wrong number... Part of a special fanfic series.


For more information about this fanfic series, go to http://www.infinitedeferral.com/ or for other fanfics in this series, go to my profile at http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=79367 .  
  
Caught in the Sun  
  
A 2002 World Cup / Anime Fanfic Series  
  
By Roehl Sybing (indef@infinitedeferral.com)  
  
Episode Nine: Football Fantasy  
  
Group E: Saudi Arabia v Republic of Ireland @ Yokohama  
  
An Ah! My Goddess Fanfic  
  
The town of Naas was no different than every other town in all of Ireland, with the whole nation being swept up in the fever of the World Cup, and the constant fear of the possibility of their team's early exit.  
  
Even little Liam understood that a win - not just a win, but a convincing win - was needed, listening to all the pub frequents as he walked the narrow streets of his hometown on the way from errands. He wanted so badly what they wanted, too; it was much more than getting the extra days off from school to see the matches, but he had never before been more excited about anything.  
  
The one thing that was desperately missing from his team's chances, Liam knew, was a leader. The team's captain, his favorite player in the whole wide world, said some bad things to his coach, and the coach got angry, kicking him off the team and sending him home. Everyone around him became very sad, and now their team was facing losing it all for another four years. Liam couldn't wait that long for another try.  
  
He passed St. David's Church, and his arms grew tired of carrying around the things he was taking home for mother. As it was getting dark, he wanted to let her know that he might be late getting back. The nearest public telephone was on a barren dirt road, and Liam dug out some change to make a phone call.  
  
"Hello," a woman's voice said over the phone, "You've reached the Goddess Relief Office."  
  
"Oh! I'm terribly sorry, madam," Liam politely and innocently said in his typical high-pitched voice, "I was trying to call mother, but I got the wrong number."  
  
"Please hold while I transfer you."  
  
"Goodbye, now," he said unaware, hanging up the phone. Liam had run out of change, so all he could do was pick up his things and hurry home as soon as possible.  
  
As he grabbed his bags off the floor, though, he picked his head up as the old water well on the other side of the road lit up like a torch.  
  
Liam instinctively cursed, not catching himself as the words left his mouth. He was morbidly curious as the well kicked up some water, and a figure that shot into the sky and straight back down onto the road. He slowly walked over to inspect what the well had thrown out. His body then froze as she moved about with her back turned to him. His next motion, once he saw her face, was one of flight.  
  
"A spirit!" he cried, running away, "A ghost!" Liam dropped all of his things, save for the lightest items in his possession, and bolted for home. Before the "spirit" got to her feet, he had already dipped into the horizon, dropping out of sight.  
  
"Hmph!" Skuld said to herself, "That was rude!"  
  
---  
  
The door to the house flew open, and the child sailed into the kitchen to find his mother.  
  
"Mommy! Mommy!" Liam cried.  
  
His mother caught him with both hands and picked him off the floor, happy to see him. "There, there," she said, then looking at him, "Where're all the things I asked you to get from town?"  
  
"The ghost took 'em, mommy! Saw it with me eyes, mommy!"  
  
"What ghost, now?" she asked, "You're playin' games with me, Liam."  
  
"But it's true, it's true!" he insisted, "Popped right outta the well, and-- and--"  
  
Mother shook her head, "It must be all those things you're eating before bed, givin' you nightmares! Alright, then, go and wash up, food will be on the table in a bit. Then you can tell me all the tales you want!"  
  
---  
  
Tales? What tales? It was real! Why didn't Mother believe Liam? The child struggled to recall exactly what had happened on the road. Perhaps he might've imagined it. It was all a haze as Liam cleaned up for dinner. It looked like...a girl? What was a girl doing in the well?  
  
He wiped the water from his face and left the faucet running, filling the sink as he went to change clothes for nighttime. He flicked on the light near his bed and pulled the shirt over himself before returning to the washroom. Once there, the fright came rushing back.  
  
"It's you again!" Liam shouted, wailing all about and running wildly all the way back to his room, "It followed me home!"  
  
Skuld, entering the house from the water in the bathroom sink, did what she could to calm him down. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" she said, then finally holding him down by his arms as he kicked and screamed.  
  
Liam's volume finally came down, but the child resorted to hyperventilating as he struggled to get a question out. "What're you hauntin' me for?" he asked.  
  
Skuld let go. "I am NOT a ghost!" she cried in frustration, "Ooh, and I thought this was going to be easy!"  
  
Suddenly, the turned towards the doorway as a voice from downstairs called out. "Liam!" Mother said, "What in the world is going on up there?"  
  
"Uh, nothing!" he replied, unable to explain. Then he turned to his guest, "What do you want from me?"  
  
"What?" Skuld asked, "You called me!"  
  
"I did not!"  
  
Skuld folded her arms, saying, "OK, whatever." Then she dug into her pockets, searching for something. "Ooh!" she cried, "They didn't give me my cards yet!"  
  
"Huh?" Liam replied with enough confusion to be riddled twice over.  
  
"Alright..." she said, improvising, "I'm supposed to tell you I'm - what are the words? Yes! I'm a goddess-in-training, and I've come down to grant you your wish!"  
  
"A g-g-g-goddess?" he repeated, more confused than frightened now.  
  
"Yes, that's what I said! I'm here to give you one wish. Anything you want."  
  
"But, but...I don't know what I want!"  
  
Skuld stood there, incredulous. She had studied up for this one training assignment - a temporary return to her duties and a chance for future graduation - and there was absolutely no contingency for a customer that didn't want anything. Skuld would have to stay for as long as possible until the job was done, and at the rate this was going, it may very well take some time!  
  
"I've got it!" Liam said.  
  
"Yes?" Skuld said eagerly.  
  
"What about if I wish for some new shoes?" he asked. Skuld's head sank as he kept on talking. "Mine are pretty dusty and torn up, and I saw this spot from America and--"  
  
"No, no, no!" the goddess cried.  
  
"What's wrong?" he said innocently.  
  
"I can only grant wishes that come from your heart! Something that you really want!"  
  
Liam showed a blank face, "But I don't know!"  
  
Skuld threw her arms up, "This is tougher than I thought!"  
  
He looked around, not really grasping what is happening to him. There she was, a...goddess...in his room, saying that she can grant him a wish. But there was nothing to ask for! He was either too worked up or too dazed and confused to think up something.  
  
Then it occured to him, as Liam gazed at the poster - the picture of his favorite player - draped above his bed. Right then and there, the child knew what he wanted the most.  
  
---  
  
"Ireland's going out in amazing fashion. The scoreline for Cameroon and Germany has forced the issue for Ireland, but they just cannot seem to get over Saudi Arabia's sudden goal flurry in the late stages of this match, but both sides here are all but lost as they will ultimately fail to make the round of sixteen."  
  
The scene in the pub, whose customers were getting the broadcast, was one of heartfelt sorrow. Their team was losing, and almost certain not to qualify from the opening round. As they didn't serve any drinks this early in the day, Liam was allowed to watch the television from his seat at the bar.  
  
"Just a cryin' shame," he heard one person say.  
  
Unlike the rest of his friends who went on home, though, Liam stayed put, watching the entire match from start to finish, all because of one man on the field.  
  
"And the Irish captain pushes the ball upfield, trying his best to inspire a performance from the rest of his mates. He's already got two goals under his belt, though not enough to make this a victory for Ireland. It's been a latent chapter in the saga between the captain and manager, the latest news spawning from reports that he slipped away from his home and ended up at the training camp in Japan earlier this morning. He has sworn to reporters that he doesn't know how he got there, and that only moments before he appeared at camp, he was, in fact, with his family and friends, making preparations to watch the match unfold on television. Whatever the reasons for his sudden appearance, though, the captain felt he needed to make amends, and with the manager's blessing - to say nothing of Ireland's dire needs - he attended morning practice and, so, he is playing in what looks to be his final World Cup match before his international retirement."  
  
END.  
  
Next match:  
  
Episode Ten: Nigeria v England @ Osaka  
  
A Sailor Moon Fanfic 


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